The Last Chronicle of Barset (105 page)

‘He is not here.'

‘He is in the house, for I heard him. Why have you come back?'

Dalrymple's eye fell on the tattered canvas, and he thought of the doings of the past month. He thought of the picture of the three
Graces, which was hanging in the room below, and he thoroughly wished that he had never been introduced to the Broughton establishment. How was he to get through his present difficulty? ‘No,' said he, ‘Broughton did not come. It was Mr Musselboro whose steps you heard below.'

‘What is he here for? What is he doing here? Where is Dobbs? Conway, there is something the matter. Has he gone off?'

‘Yes – he has gone off.'

‘The coward!'

‘No; he was not a coward – not in that way.'

The use of the past tense, unintentional as it had been, told the story to the woman at once. ‘He is dead,' she said. Then he took both her hands in his and looked into her face without speaking a word. And she gazed at him with fixed eyes, and rigid mouth, while the quick coming breath just moved the curl of her nostrils. It occurred to him at the moment that he had never before seen her so wholly unaffected, and had never before observed that she was so totally deficient in all the elements of real beauty. She was the first to speak again. ‘Conway,' she said, ‘tell it me all. Why did you not speak to me?'

‘There is nothing further to tell,' said he.

Then she dropped his hands and walked away from him to the window – and stood there looking out upon the stuccoed turret of a huge house that stood opposite. As she did so she was employing herself in counting the windows. Her mind was paralysed by the blow, and she knew not how to make any exertion with it for any purpose. Everything was changed with her – and was changed in such a way that she could make no guess as to her future mode of life. She was suddenly a widow, a pauper, and utterly desolate – while the only person in the whole world that she really liked was standing close to her. But in the midst of it all she counted the windows of the house opposite. Had it been possible for her she would have put her mind altogether to sleep.

He let her stand for a few minutes and then joined her at the window. ‘My friend,' he said, ‘what shall I do for you?'

‘Do?' she said. ‘What do you mean by – doing?'

‘Come and sit down and let me talk to you,' he replied. Then he led her to the sofa, and as she seated herself I doubt whether she had not almost forgotten that her husband was dead.

‘What a pity it was to cut it up,' she said, pointing to the rags of Jael and Sisera.

‘Never mind the picture now. Dreadful as it is, you must allow yourself to think of him for a few minutes.'

‘Think of what! Oh God! yes. Conway, you must tell me what to do. Was everything gone? It isn't about myself. I don't mind about myself. I wish it was me instead of him. I do. I do.'

‘No wishing is of any avail.'

‘But, Conway, how did it happen? Do you think it is true? That man would say anything to gain his object. Is he here now?'

‘I believe he is here still.'

‘I won't see him. Remember that. Nothing on earth shall make me see him.'

‘It may be necessary, but I do not think it will be – at any rate not yet.'

‘I will never see him. I believe that he has murdered my husband. I do. I feel sure of it. Now I think of it I am quite sure of it. And he will murder you too – about that girl. He will. I tell you I know the man.' Dalrymple simply shook his head, smiling sadly. ‘Very well! you will see. But, Conway, how do you know that it is true? Do you believe it yourself?'

‘I do believe it.'

‘And how did it happen?'

‘He could not bear the ruin that he had brought upon himself and you.'

‘Then – then –' She went no further in her speech; but Dalrymple assented by a slight motion of his head, and she had been informed sufficiently that her husband had perished by his own hand. ‘What am I to do?' she said. ‘Oh, Conway – you must tell me. Was there ever so miserable a woman! Was it – poison?'

He got up and walked quickly across the room and back again to the place where she was sitting. ‘Never mind about that now. You shall know all that in time. Do not ask any questions about that. If I
were you I think I would go to bed. You will be better there than up, and this shock will make you sleep.'

‘No,' she said. ‘I will not go to bed. How should I know that that man would not come to me and kill me? I believe he murdered Dobbs – I do. You are not going to leave me, Conway?' ‘I think I had better, for a while. There are things which should be done. Shall I send one of the women to you?'

‘There is not one of them that cares for me in the least. Oh, Conway, do not go; not yet. I will not be left alone in the house with him. You will be very cruel if you go and leave me now – when you have so often said that you – that you – that you were my friend.' And now, at last, she began to weep.

‘I think it will be best,' he said, ‘that I should go to Mrs Van Siever. If I can manage it I will get Clara to come to you.'

‘I do not want her,' said Mrs Broughton. ‘She is a heartless cold creature, and I do not want to have her near me. My poor husband was ruined among them – yes, ruined among them. It has all been done that she may marry that horrid man and live here in this house. I have known ever so long that he has not been safe among them.'

‘You need fear nothing from Clara,' said Dalrymple, with some touch of anger in his voice.

‘Of course you will say so. I can understand that very well. And it is natural that you should wish to be with her. Pray go.'

Then he sat beside her, and took her hand, and endeavoured to speak to her so seriously, that she herself might become serious, and if it might be possible, in some degree contemplative. He told her how necessary it was that she should have some woman near her in her trouble, and explained to her that as far as he knew her female friends, there would be no one who would be so considerate with her as Clara Van Siever. She at one time mentioned the name of Miss Demolines; but Dalrymple altogether opposed the notion of sending for that lady – expressing his opinion that the amiable Madalina had done all in her power to create quarrels both between Mrs Broughton and her husband and between Dobbs Broughton and Mrs Van Siever. And he spoke his opinion very fully about Miss Demolines. ‘And yet you liked her once,' said Mrs Broughton. ‘I never liked her,' said
Dalrymple with energy. ‘But all that matters nothing now. Of course you can send for her if you please; but I do not think her trustworthy, and I will not willingly come in contact with her.' Then Mrs Broughton gave him to understand that of course she must give way, but that in giving way she felt herself to be submitting to that ill-usage which is the ordinary lot of women, and to which she, among women, had been specially subjected. She did not exactly say as much, fearing that if she did he would leave her altogether; but that was the gist of her plaints and wails, and final acquiescence.

‘And you are going?' she said, catching hold of his arm.

‘I will employ myself altogether and only about your affairs, till I see you again.'

‘But I want you to stay.'

‘It would be madness. Look here – lie down till Clara comes or till I return. Do not go beyond this room and your own. If she cannot come this evening I will return. Good-bye now. I will see the servants as I go out, and tell them what ought to be told.'

‘Oh, Conway,' she said, clutching hold of him again, ‘I know that you despise me.'

‘I do not despise you, and I will be as good a friend to you as I can. God bless you.' Then he went, and as he descended the stairs he could not refrain from telling himself that he did in truth despise her.

His first object was to find Musselboro, and to dismiss that gentleman from the house. For though he himself did not attribute to Mrs Van Siever's favourite any of those terrible crimes and potentialities for crime with which Mrs Dobbs Broughton had invested him, still he thought it reasonable that the poor woman upstairs should not be subjected to the necessity of either seeing him or hearing him. But Musselboro had gone, and Dalrymple could not learn from the head woman-servant whom he saw, whether before going he had told to anyone in the house the tale of the catastrophe which had happened in the City. Servants are wonderful actors, looking often as though they knew nothing when they know everything – as though they understood nothing, when they understand all. Dalrymple made known all that was necessary, and the discreet upper servant listened to the tale with the proper amount of awe and horror and commiseration.
‘Shot hisself in the City – laws! You'll excuse me, sir, but we all know'd as master was coming to no good.' But she promised to do her best with her mistress – and kept her promise. It is seldom that servants are not good in such straits as that.

From Mrs Broughton's house Dalrymple went directly to Mrs Van Siever's, and learned that Musselboro had been there about half an hour before, and had then gone off in a cab with Mrs Van Siever. It was now nearly four o'clock in the afternoon, and no one in the house knew when Mrs Van Siever would be back. Miss Van Siever was out, and had been out when Mr Musselboro had called, but was expected in every minute. Conway therefore said that he would call again, and on returning found Clara alone. She had not then heard a word of the fate of Dobbs Broughton. Of course she would go at once to Mrs Broughton, and if necessary stay with her during the night. She wrote a line at once to her mother, saying where she was and went across to Mrs Broughton leaning on Dalrymple's arm. ‘Be good to her,' said Conway, as he left her at the door. ‘I will,' said Clara. ‘I will be as kind as my nature will allow me.' ‘And remember,' said Conway, whispering into her ear as he pressed her hand at leaving her, ‘that you are all the world to me.' It was perhaps not a proper time for an expression of love, but Clara Van Siever forgave the impropriety.

Clara Van Siever did stay all that night with Mrs Broughton. In the course of the evening she received a note from her mother, in which she was told to come home to breakfast. ‘You can go back to her afterwards,' said Mrs Van Siever; ‘and I will see her myself in the course of the day, if she will let me.' The note was written on a scrap of paper, and had neither beginning nor end; but this was after the manner of Mrs Van Siever, and Clara was not in the least hurt or
surprised. ‘My mother will come to see you after breakfast,' said Clara, as she was taking her leave.

‘Oh, goodness! And what shall I say to her?'

‘You will have to say very little. She will speak to you.'

‘I suppose everything belongs to her now,' said Mrs Broughton.

‘I know nothing about that. I never do know anything of mamma's money matters.'

‘Of course she'll turn me out. I do not mind a bit about that – only I hope she'll let me have some mourning.' Then she made Clara promise that she would return as soon as possible, having in Clara's presence overcome all that feeling of dislike which she had expressed to Conway Dalrymple. Mrs Broughton was generally affectionate to those who were near her. Had Musselboro forced himself into her presence, she would have become quite confidential with him before he left her.

‘Mr Musselboro will be here directly,' said Mrs Van Siever, as she was starting for Mrs Broughton's house. ‘You had better tell him to come to me there; or, stop – perhaps you had better keep him here till I come back. Tell him to be sure and wait for me.'

‘Very well, mamma. I suppose he can wait below?'

‘Why should he wait below?' said Mrs Van Siever, very angrily.

Clara had made the uncourteous proposition to her mother with the express intention of making it understood that she would have nothing to say to him. ‘He can come upstairs if he likes,' said Clara; ‘and I will go up to my room.'

‘If you fight shy of him, miss, you may remember this – that you will fight shy of me at the same time.'

‘I am sorry for that, mamma, for I shall certainly fight shy of Mr Musselboro.'

‘You can do as you please. I can't force you, and I shan't try. But I can make your life a burden to you – and I will. What's the matter with the man that he isn't good enough for you? He's as good as any of your own people ever was. I hate your newfangled airs – with pictures painted on the sly, and all the rest of it. I hate such ways. See what they have brought that wretched man to, and the poor fool his wife. If you go and marry that painter, some of these days you'll be
very much like what she is. Only I doubt whether he has got courage enough to blow his brains out.' With these comfortable words, the old woman took herself off, leaving Clara to entertain her lover as best she might choose.

Mr Musselboro was not long in coming, and, in accordance with Mrs Van Siever's implied directions to her daughter, was shown up into the drawing-room. Clara gave him her mother's message in a very few words. ‘I was expressly told, sir, to ask you to stop, if it is not inconvenient, as she very much wants to see you.' Mr Musselboro declared that of course he would stop. He was only too happy to have an opportunity of remaining in such delightful society. As Clara answered nothing to this, he went on to say that he hoped that the melancholy occasion of Mrs Van Siever's visit to Mrs Broughton might make a long absence necessary – he did not, indeed, care how long it might be. He had recovered now from that paleness, and that want of gloves and jewellery which had befallen him on the previous day immediately after the sight he had seen in the City. Clara made no answer to the last speech, but, putting some things together in her work-basket, prepared to leave the room. ‘I hope you are not going to leave me?' he said, in a voice that was intended to convey much of love, and something of melancholy.